Half slacks



Jan. 3, 1956 G. QUEEN HALF SLACKS Filed July 25, 1954 1N VEN TOR. GL Ams Q u EE N MMR/V52 United" StaSPatent 2,728,998 HALF SLACKS Gladys Queen, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 23, 1954, SeriaINo. 445,216

l 1 claim. (ci. sc dz) This invention relates to garments, particularly ladies garments. More specilically, the invention has reference to garments of the slacks type, designed especially to be worn under a conventional dress orpskirt.

Most usually, slacks cannot be worn in the manner referred to above. In this connection, particularly on wintry days, one may desire to wear slacks for protecting the legs against the wind or other elements. Nevertheless, it often happens in such instances that a freedom of choice is not possible, due to the fact that at ones destination, she may not desire, or forthat matter may not be permitted, to wear slacks.

The present invention is designed to obviate a situation of this type, and comprises a pair of what may be appropriately termed half slacks; The garment is designed as the leg portions of slacks, so as to be worn upon the lower parts of the legs under a skirt or dress, the half slacks having means concealed beneath the dress or skirt for attaching the same to a conventional girdle, garter belt, or the like. In this way, it is proposed to permit one to protect her legs from the cold, while at the same time permitting the half slacks to be readily removed at her destination.

A further object of importance is to so design the slacks as to cause them to appear to be conventional slacks, when worn under a conventional coat that extends below the hem of the dress.

Another object is to provide, in one form of the invention, means for adjusting the overall length of the slacks, the height of the lower end thereof from the ground, or the extent to which the upper ends thereof project upwardly beneath the skirt or dress.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the half slacks as they appear when worn.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the halt slacks.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail sectional view substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the modified form, as seen from the right of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6, the dotted lines showing various adjustments that can be made.

Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged, detail sectional view on line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

In Figs. 1-3, the half slacks comprise a pair of identical, side-by-side, unconnected leg covers 10. Each is formed to extend from the ankle of the leg to a location above the knee, the upper ends of covers 10 being concealed beneath a dress 12.

Each cover comprises a tubular, open-ended member 14 of a suitable fabric or other flexible material, the lower end portion of which member can be slightly tapered as shown. Member y14 can be pressed llat so as to have front and back creases, in the manner 'of a conventional pair of slacks.

At its front and back, at the location of the creases thereof, member 14 is provided, at its upper end, with upwardly extending, exible elastic connecting tabs 16, stitched to the inside of the tubular member as at 18 (Fig. 3).

The upper ends of the tabs 16 are adapted to be con nected to garters 20, depending from a conventional girdle 21, garter belt, or the like, it being understood that garters 20 would be disposed both at front and back of the girdle, to permit the front and back tabs 16 of each leg cover 10 to be readily attached to the respective garters.

It will be apparent that when the half slacks are worn as in Fig. l, they will provide ample protection against the wind, cold, or other elements, and can be easily removed when onereaches her destination. Further, when an outer coat is worn,kas would of course be the case in wintry weather, said coat, if it extends below the hem of the dress or skirt, will conceal the fact that the leg covers are half slacks, rather than full orconventional slacks.

In Figs. 4-8 a modified form is shown in which the leg covers 10a include open-ended, creased tubular members 14a.

ln this form of the invention, however, instead of a single liexible connecting element 16 at the front and back, a pair of said elements is provided at the front, and a second pair at the back, the elements being designated 16a in the modified form. The elements of each pair are disposed at opposite sides of the adjacent crease of the tubular member, and at their upper ends are joined by a short length of tape 26, stitched at its opposite ends to and extending transversely between the elements 16a. The connecting member 26 of each pair of flexible ele ments is attached to the garter 20, rather than the elements themselves'.

In the modified form, the tubular member has its lower end turned inwardly to provide a lower cuff 24. The upper end is similarly turned inwardly to provide an upper cuff 22. The flexible members 16a are elongated to extend the major part of the length of the leg cover, the opposite end portions of each exible element overlying the upper and lower cuffs, as shown in Fig. 6.

Arranged longitudinally and centrally of each flexible element 16a is a series of buttons, attached as shown in Fig. 8 to the main or body portion of the leg covering 14a. ri`he series of buttons associated with each liexible element 16a includes a lower row 28, and an upper row 30, the rows being aligned longitudinally with one another and with their associated flexible elements 16a. The buttons 2S of the lower row extend through buttonholes provided in the lower cuff 24, while the buttons 3% extend through buttonholes provided in the upper cuff 22. The buttonholes of the upper and lower cuffs are registrabie with a longitudinal series of buttonholes 32 provided in the iiexible element 16a, said buttonholes of the lowerV cuff being designated at 34and those of the upper cuff being designated at 36.

By reason of this arrangement, one type of adjustment that can be made permits the iiexible elements 16a to be adjusted bodily longitudinally of the leg covering, without disturbing the length of the covering itself. in other words, the elements 16a would under these circumstances be detached from the buttons 28, 30, and might be moved upwardly to the dotted line position of the ilexible element 16a Vand connecting tape 26 shown in Fig. 7. This would register a different set of buttonholes 32 with the buttons 28, 30, after which the flexible elements 16a would be reattached to the buttons.

A second type of adjustment that can be made involves the shortening of the upper cuff 22, t0 extend the leg covering in an upward direction, thereby to cause it to cover more of the upper leg of the wearer. Of course, if it is desired to shorten the leg covering at its upper end, the upper cuff 22 could be made longer. This is achieved by first removing the tabs 16a, and then disengaging the upper cuff 22 from the several buttons 30, to lengthen or shorten the upper cuff. The upper cuff, after it has been adjusted in this manner, is reattached to buttons 30, after which the elements 16a are attached once again to the buttons.

lf it is desired to elongate the leg covering at its lower end, without disturbing the location upon the upper portion of the wearers leg to which the covering extends, one detaclies elements 16a from buttons 28, and then detaches lower cuff 24 from said buttons 28, to adjust the length of the lower cuff. Thereafter, the lower cuff and the elements 16a are reattached to buttons 28.

These adjustments can be effected separably, or in any selected combination, as desired, and it will be seen that the arrangement permits one to raise and lower the entire leg covering bodily, without disturbing the length thereof. Further, the arrangement permits the length of the covering to be adjusted. Still further, one can adjust the distance of the lower end of the covering from the ground, or the extent to which the upper end of the covering overlies the upper portion of the wearers leg.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and moditications coming within the scope of the invention as delined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A leg covering to be worn beneath a dress or the like outer garment, comprising a tubular member with the upper and lower ends inturned t0 provide an upper and a lower cuff, llexible elements extending the major part of the interior length of the leg covering, and means on said eXible elements to adjust the vertical length of said inner cuis.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

